Burning Day
by star54kar
Summary: Albus Dumbledore finishes writing his will, and reflects on why he has decided to leave the most personal of his gifts to Ron.


**Title:** Burning Day  
**Rating:** K+  
**Warnings:** None  
**Prompt:** _"Not all who wander are lost."_ J.R.R. Tolkien  
**Word Count:** 819  
**Summary:** Albus Dumbledore finishes writing his will, and reflects on why he has decided to leave the most personal of his gifts to Ron.  
**Author's Notes:** Written for the first round of prompts at gingerlust over on livejournal Thanks to bramblerose4 for helping me brainstorm and an extra special thanks to thrihyrne for jumping in at the last minute with an emergency beta.

Burning Day

It was a burning day; a time of renewal where new life could spring forth from the ashes of death. Albus Dumbledore glanced up from his paperwork just in time to watch Fawkes burst into brilliant flames. He rose from his desk and helped to brush the ashes away from the baby phoenix as he said, "My time is coming shortly my friend." Fawkes nipped affectionately at the fingers of his good hand, and Albus gave his pet a gentle pat on the head before he returned to his seat.

Time was growing short and Albus needed to put the final pieces of his plan into motion. It was a burning of his own creation; an intricate and dangerous game of Wizards' chess. He was using his own death as the catalyst to send Harry on a journey toward his own demise in the hopes that the boy would be able to find a way to rise from the ashes, and become the hero he was always meant to become.

His affairs needed be put into order and through his will; he had some final gifts to bestow on Harry and his friends. Albus hated to think of the burden that he was leaving on three people that he had grown to care so dearly for. Young Harry, Ronald, and Hermione had always been a formidable force to reckon with, but now those very bonds of friendship would face a difficult test. The nature and strength of their team lay in their ability to work together.

Over the years as he'd reflected on the dynamic of the trio's relationship, Albus quickly had come to realize that the three friends worked together and complemented each other the same way that the parts of a body function in a human being. Harry was the body; the vessel from which the action took place. Hermione provided the group with the strength of mind, logic and reason. Young Ronald however- Ronald was the heart, the emotional force that bound the three of them together.

Out of all three, it was Ronald for whom Albus feared the most. The boy's heart was strong, but clouded by deeply rooted insecurity and self doubt. Without a doubt, this would cause Ronald to be the most vulnerable to attack by Voldemort's Horcruxes. Albus was saddened by the knowledge that Ronald had never fully recognized his own worth and strength. The events of the Tri-Wizard tournament were a clear indication of that fact, and Albus knew that those lingering issues had never been completely resolved. As a result, Albus was certain that at some point on their impending journey, Ronald would need to wander away from Harry and Hermione, and in doing so, finally face his fears and come to terms with his own strength of heart.

It was this fact that helped Albus to secure his decision. His gifts to both Harry and Hermione were chosen from a purely practical standpoint. Harry would receive the sword, a useful tool in the destruction of the horcruxes and the Resurrection Stone- concealed within his first Golden Snitch, to hopefully aid him in the final moments of his journey. Hermione would receive _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_, to help lead them to the Deathly Hallows and slow Harry down enough so that he did not stumble upon the knowledge before he was ready.

To Ronald, however, Albus planned to bestow the most personal of all of his gifts. The Deluminator, while a practical gift from some standpoints, also had a lesser-known ability; it could guide its user to their heart's desire. By using that ability the Deluminator would enable Ronald to find his way back to Harry and Hermione, once they were separated. Albus was certain that Ronald's insecurities would cause him temporarily to stray from the path, but he was also certain that Ronald's desire to return to his friends would eventually prove stronger. In that returning he would finally find himself, his strength and his purpose.

Dipping his quill into the ink well, Albus Dumbledore inscribed the very first portion of his final gifts to the golden trio.

_To Ronald Bilius Weasley I leave my Deluminator in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it._

He smiled as he looked down, satisfied with what he had written and quickly finished bequeathing his gifts to Hermione and then finally to Harry. His will was now completed. He carefully rolled the parchment and summoned an owl from the owlery in order to have it filed appropriately with the Ministry of Magic. His burning day would soon be dawning. Albus stared out the window as the owl flew on its way and as he thought of the challenges that Ronald would soon face, he whispered softly, "_Not all who wander are lost._" Even though Ronald couldn't hear him, Albus hoped that eventually, the young man would understand.


End file.
